How To Disable Automatic Drivers Update In Windows 10

One of the new awesome features of Windows 10 Update service is an automatic search, downloading and updating the drivers for PC’s hardware. In most cases it’s pretty useful feature: the system installing the needed software and user can even don’t think about this. But sometimes Windows chooses incorrect drivers for your hardware and this cause a lot of different issues. There is no simple solution to this problem and there is no option for users to disable it. In this article we will show you how to disable automatic update of a specific driver or even to disable drivers search by Windows Update service at all.

Disabling drivers update by using Microsoft Show or hide updates tool

A short time ago Microsoft released a useful utility – Show or hide updates – which can disable the update of a specific drivers. The tool is checking for a new versions of software and display them in the list. User have ability to check on the updates that is not needed to be installed and Windows Update service will ignore them.

The main disadvantage of the utility is that it’s impossible to disable updating of any drivers at all. Show or hide updates utility ignores only those versions of hardware, that were available at the moment. In case the newer version of software will appear in the Microsoft Update Catalog, it will be installed automatically. Now, follow the instructions below:

Download utility by clicking on Download the “Show or hide updates” troubleshooter package now and run the file.

Press Next.

Wait until the program will search for available updates.

Press on Hide updates.

Check on the updates in the list which you don’t want to be installed and press Next.

Click on Close the troubleshooter.

However, you can check all blocked updates or undo the changes at any time:

Run the Show or hide updates tool.

Click Next.

Wait while utility performs a search for available updates.

Click on Show hidden updates.

You can choose the drivers in the list which is preferable to install automatically.

Click Next.

Click on Close the troubleshooter.

How to disable automatic drivers update for a specific device?

The above method shows how to block drivers updating for any specific component of your PC. It’s important to notice that these rules will affect both OS and user: you won’t be able to update the drivers even manually. The main advantage of this method is that it blocks the update of any version of the drivers, not only the specific one. The main disadvantage – in case you would prefer to disable update for a big amount of components, it will take a lot of time to perform this.

Find setting Prevent installation of devices that match any of these device and double click on it.

Check on Enabled, then on Show…

Paste the first ID that you copied earlier in the first field, then paste the second ID in the second field (it will appear after you set the first), and so on. After finish click on ОК, then Apply.

To revert the changes, you just need to set the value of parameter from Enabled to Not Configured.

How to disable automatic drivers update by using Registry editor

To disable drivers update, users of Windows 10 Home and Home SL can use Registry editor.

Press Win + R.

Type in regedit and press Enter.

Go to branch:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Right click on folder Windows and choose New -> Key.

Give a name to new folder DeviceInstall.

In the same way create new subfolder in DeviceInstall folder and give it a name Restrictions.

In the same way create a subfolder DenyDeviceIDs in Restrictions folder.

Right click in the right area of editor and choose New -> String Value.

Give it a name 1.

Double click on the created key and paste the ID copied before to a key Value data field.

In the same way create keys 2, 3, 4… and set them an appropriate IDs.

Reboot your PC.

To undo the changes, you just need to delete all created keys and folders.

How to disable automatic drivers update in Control Panel

It’s pretty old method to disable drivers update – you just need to check on appropriate option in the system settings, in Control Panel. It’s important to mention that this method is not 100% working.

Press Win + R.

Type in control sysdm.cpl and press Enter.

Switch to Hardware tab and press button Device Installation Settings.

Check on No (your device might not work as expected), then press Save Changes.